How is Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Surveillance?

August 31, 2018

Artificial intelligence is constantly evolving and developing which has a huge impact on the surveillance sector.

When we spot a CCTV camera in person, it’s hard not to get the gut feeling that someone is watching you. In a way, that’s historically been one of the benefits of CCTV systems—the feeling that someone is watching can impact how we behave, but the reality is, many CCTV systems are left unmanned. This is because having security personnel to constantly and vigilantly watch a camera system just isn’t practical or cost-effective. The good news is: artificial intelligence is reshaping how we view optical security systems and is changing the landscape of the surveillance industry.

Instant Results

Perhaps the largest benefit of systems that utilize artificial intelligence is how quick you can get results out of it. AI can be used to analyze video feeds just about instantly, discerning everything from recognized faces to recognized actions or behaviors. If it sounds like a powerful tool, that’s because it is—and it’s only growing in its capabilities and applications. We’re likely to see even more improvement, such as searchable video that can show you exactly what you want when you want it, in the future.

Better Resolution, Better Results

In the past, resolution has been a limiting factor. CCTV cameras were lauded for their laughable grainy quality that often ended up offering few details about what went on at the scene of an incident. Nowadays, optical camera quality has increased tenfold, which allows intelligent optical systems to do their job. With the proper resolution, it makes it much easier for the intelligence behind these surveillance systems to pick out the proper details and work effectively when and where you need it.

Considering Limitations

As powerful as our current intelligent optical systems may be, there are still limitations. Most of these systems take advantage of machine learning, meaning that they’re very good at doing one specific thing: spotting patterns or learning to recognize very specific traits in a video. Still, these systems certainly aren’t capable of the same insight as a human operator. They may be able to recognize that someone on camera is running, but they lack the capabilities of knowing why that person is running or understanding context. Only time will tell how and in what ways this may change in the future.

Improving Security With Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper Security’s suite of intelligent optical technologies provides security personnel with the tool to detect today’s threats. Our systems help those in the energy, transportation, commercial, and government sectors protect their people and their valuables by detecting threats in time to take action. From automatic under vehicle inspection systems, automatic license plate reader systems, to on the move automatic vehicle occupant identifier, we offer full 360-degree vehicle scanning to ensure any threat is found. Throughout 30 countries around the globe, Gatekeeper Security’s technology is trusted to help protect critical infrastructure. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn for updates about our technology and company.